Bucs pick Antoine Winfield Jr., Ke’Shawn Vaughn on Day 2

On Day 2 of the NFL Draft 2020, rounds 2 and 3 took place and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers headed into Friday with needs at running back and defensive secondary still on the table. With head coach Bruce Arians conducting draft work on the porch at his house and Jason Licht from his living room, the Buccaneers were able to snatch a couple good Day 2 selections.

Tampa Bay added safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn with the respective No. 45 and No. 76 picks of the NFL Draft. Day 3 of the draft will feature rounds 4, 5, 6 and 7. The Buccaneers could be on the hunt for more offensive line help and a possible young quarterback to enter the mix to learn under new starting quarterback Tom Brady.

The Bucs pick of Winfield Jr. infuses more youth into an already still young secondary gives Tampa Bay a safety that could have the team looking to move on from veteran Justin Evans, who missed most of last season with an injury. Winfield’s father, Antoine Winfield Sr., was drafted into the NFL in 1999 and played for 14 seasons, nine with the Minnesota Vikings.

At pick No. 76, many thought Tampa Bay might go with another offensive linemen or one of the bigger name running backs that was still available in the draft. Instead the Buccaneers went with a more unknown commodity in former Vanderbilt running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn. The former Commodore rushes for a pair of 1,000-yard seasons that last two years and is a similar north-south runner like Peyton Barber.